Bonds claimed the career home run crown on Aug. 7, 2007, after already owning the career National League record and the single-season mark. Arguably the greatest player ever, Bonds is baseball's all-time walks leader, owns seven NL MVP Awards and is the only player with 500 home runs and 500 stolen bases. MLB.com coverage >

He arrived in the Majors as a thin second baseman, but Aaron's powerful stroke quickly earned him the nickname "The Hammer." A soft-spoken man with a booming bat, Aaron was the most consistent slugger in Major League history, hitting at least 30 homers in 15 different seasons, a Major League record. Aaron holds the Major League record for career runs batted in (2,297), total bases (6,856) and extra-base hits (1,477).

Ruth changed the game with his towering home runs and record-setting clouts. The Babe, Bambino or Sultan of Swat remains the most famous player in the history of the game and was it's biggest star during the 1920s. Ruth was the cornerstone of the first New York Yankee dynasty. He held the record for career home runs until Aaron broke his mark and the single-season record of 60 he set in 1927 stood for 34 years.

A-Rod became the youngest player to slug 500 home runs when he accomplished the feat at the age of 32 years and eight days, 330 days younger than Jimmie Foxx was when he reached the milestone. Exactly three years later, Rodriguez became the seventh and youngest member of the 600-home run club. A record nine players reached the 500-homer plateau in the 2000s, and A-Rod was the sixth, which surpassed the five who reached that mark in the 1960s. His 435 home runs from 2000-09 led the decade. MLB.com coverage >

One of the all-time greats, the Say Hey Kid could do it all and do it with grace and class. A 20-time All-Star Mays was the greatest power hitter of his generation, but he also won a batting title and stole 338 bases. He won a dozen Gold Gloves and his 7,095 career putouts remain the record by an outfielder.

Griffey was one of the greatest players of his era, finishing his career ranked fifth on the all-time home run list. He averaged 49.8 home runs from 1996-2000, but then missed 252 games during the next three seasons, hitting only 43 homers in that time. He finished his career with nine Gold Gloves and 13 All-Star appearances. MLB.com coverage >

Thome's 500th home run may be the most dramatic of them all. He hit a two-run walk-off home run in the ninth inning on Sept. 16, 2007, capping a comeback from a six-run deficit in a White Sox victory. Thome accomplished the feat in 6,809 at-bats, the fourth-fewest at the time and bumping Sosa down a notch. MLB.com coverage >

Sosa needed just 7,036 at-bats to reach 500 homers, the fourth-fastest at the time behind Mark McGwire (5,487), Babe Ruth (5,801) and Harmon Killebrew (6,671). Sosa is the Major League record holder for most homers for a five-year, six-year, seven-year, eight-year, nine-year and 10-year spans. He is the first National Leaguer to put together six consecutive 40-homer seasons and nine straight 100-RBI seasons. MLB.com coverage >

As intense a player as he was gifted, no one can match Robinson's resume. He was the first player to win MVP Awards in both the NL and AL and the first African-American Manager. He's been a World Series MVP, AL Manager of the Year and in 1982 became a Hall of Famer.

He burst on the scene with 49 homers in 1987, a record for a rookie. He would go on to be the first man to hit as many as 50 home runs in three consecutive seasons and capitivated the nation with his competition with Sammy Sosa in the race to break Roger Maris' single-season home run record in 1998. That season McGwire set a franchise record with 145 RBIs and an NL record with 162 walks, the latter mark which was later broken by Barry Bonds. McGwire's 405 home runs in the '90s were the most for the decade.

Usually played first base but also played 790 games at first and nearly 500 in the outfield, but wherever he played Killebrew hit for power. An 11-time All-Star, "The Killer" was the Junior Circuit's most dangerous power-hitter during the 1960s, hitting 40 or more homers seven times and leading the Twins to the 1966 World Series. He led the league in homers six times.

Palmeiro never won a home run or RBI title, but he was one of the most consistent sluggers of his generation and he's one of just four players (along with Henry Aaron, Eddie Murray and Barry Bonds) ranked among the top 20 career leaders in home runs and doubles. MLB.com coverage >

"Mr. October" had a knack for hitting breath-taking home runs especially when the spotlight shone, like his shot off the light tower at Tiger Stadium in the 1971 All-Star Game or his three home runs in the 1977 World Series against Los Angeles. He is the only player to be named MVP of two World Series. A 14-time All-Star Jackson led the league in homers three times, but he was also known for his strikeouts (2,597).

As the first player to hit 400 homers in his first 10 seasons, Pujols, who spent the first 11 years of his career with the Cardinals -- amassing 445 long balls -- became the 26th member of the club. He's the second player to reach 500 homers as a member of the Angels, and he's the eighth player to reach that milestone by the age of 34.

Wearing No. 24 for the Red Sox, Manny Ramirez became the 24th player to join the 500 Home Run club. His .313 career batting average through the 2010 season puts him fourth among players with 500 home runs, behind Ted Williams, Babe Ruth and Jimmie Foxx. MLB.com coverage >

Arguably the best all-around third baseman of all-time, Schmidt led the league in homers a record eight times and hit 30 or more homers in all but two of his 18 seasons. He also won 11 Gold Gloves and made 11 All-Star teams. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1995.

A switch hitter with speed to match his awesome power, Mantle was only 24 years old when he won the Triple Crown in 1956, hitting .353 with 52 homers and 130 RBIs. Mantle was an integral part of the Yankee teams that won a dozen pennants and seven World Series titles in his first 14 seasons with the club. He set several World Series records, including most home runs (18).

Called "The Beast" or "Double X" because of his incredible power, Foxx was the second batter in history to top 500 home runs. He hit 30 or more homers in a record 12 consecutive seasons and drove in more than 100 runs 13 consecutive years, including a career-best 175 with Boston in 1938. He won back-to-back MVP awards in 1932 and 1933 and won the Triple Crown in 1933 when he hit .356 with 48 homers and 169 RBIs.

From the time he made his debut in 1959 with a four-hit game against Robin Roberts until he retired in 1980, Willie "Stretch" McCovey was one of the most feared hitters of his era. Though he played most of his games in a pitcher's park and battled injuries throughout his career, McCovey still banged out more grand slams (18) than any player in the game except Lou Gehrig and Eddie Murray. McCovey led the National League in homers three times.

A five-time All-Star and back-to-back American League MVP in 1993-94, "The Big Hurt" was the first of a record three players to reach the 500-home run plateau in 2007. Along with Palmeiro and Sheffield, Thomas is one of three players on this list who never led the league in home runs or RBIs in a season. He was as selective as he was powerful, pacing the AL in walks four times and earning 100 free passes in a season 10 times, a feat accomplished by just six others in history. MLB.com coverage >

Williams, a two-time Triple Crown winner, might have been baseball's all-time home run and RBI leader had he not missed more than 700 games while serving in the military during World War II and the Korean War. The Splendid Splinter went into the military at 23 years old, having averaged 32 homers and 129 RBIs during his first four seasons. He came back in 1946 at 27 years old and picked up right where he left off with a career-high 38 home runs. No. 9 played in only 43 games during 1952-53 when he was not flying combat missions in Korea.

Banks played more games at first base (1,259) than any other position but had his best years in the 1,125 games he played at shortstop during 1953-61. Five times Banks hit 40 or more home runs in a season. He hit a record five grand slams in 1955 and his 47 homers in 1958 were the most ever by a National League shortstop.

One of the best power-hitters of his generation Mathews hit 30 or more homers nine years in a row. In 1953, his 47 homers for the Milwaukee Braves led the National League and established a single-season record for third basemen later broken by Mike Schmidt. Mathews is the only man to play for the Boston Braves, Milwaukee Braves and Atlanta Braves.

The first National Leaguer to reach 500 home runs, the 5-foot-9, 170-pound Ott had power that belied his smallish stature. Using an unorthodox batting stance in which he lifted his right foot during his swing, the left-handed hitting Ott hit 30 or more homers in eight different seasons. He led or tied for the league lead in home runs six times.

The 25th player to join the club, Sheffield's milestone long ball also came with several firsts. He was the first to slug No. 500 in a Mets uniform, for his first Mets hit, and the first to hit his 500th as a pinch-hitter. Furthermore, it marked the first time in baseball history that a player's first home run with a team was also the 500th of his career. And, to top it all off, he hit it against the team with which he broke into the Major Leagues, the Brewers. Only Jimmie Foxx shares that distinction, victimizing the A's as a member of the Red Sox. MLB.com coverage >

Big Papi joined Ted Williams, Jimmie Foxx and Manny Ramirez as the only Red Sox sluggers to reach the 500-homer plateau in a Boston uniform, making the club the first to have four players achieve that feat.

The all-time career RBI leader among switch-hitters, Murray was a three-time Gold Glove winner at first base and eight-time All-Star. He is one of only five players, along with Aaron, Mays, Palmeiro and Rodriguez, to amass 3,000 hits and 500 home runs.